(Photo by Jonathan Olley /© Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Lucasfilm Ltd. /Courtesy Everett Collection)

All Mads Mikkelsen Movies Ranked

The striking Mads Mikkelsen got his start with brutal crime thriller Pusher, directed by fellow Danish countryman Nicolas Winding Refn. The success and notoriety of Pusher was enough to keep Mikkelsen working for years at home with dramas (Open Hearts), quirky comedies (The Green Butchers), and even a sequel (Pusher II).

But it was his turn as the mysterious blood-weeping Le Chiffre in renowned Bond reboot Casino Royale that got the world mad for more Mads. Valhalla Rising cemented his image as an international badass, while conversation-starting Certified Fresh films like A Royal Affair and The Hunt showed he was going to be a star without necessarily going the typical Hollywood route. In fact, he went straight to TV with Hannibal, a cult favorite of sinister elegance that nearly made him a household name. That along with turns in Rogue One and Doctor Strange virtually guaranteed the world’s population saw Mikkelsen at least once on their screens in 2016.

And now he’s having a winter of content with two ice-themed releases: Polar, where he plays an eye-patched assassin on Netflix, and Arctic, a one-man survival thriller shot in Iceland. As he brings the heat these weeks, we’re taking the time to sort all Mads Mikkelsen movies by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo

#26

The Three Musketeers (2011)

27%

Critics Consensus: It plays admirably fast and loose with Alexandre Dumas' classic tale, but in every other respect, The Three Musketeers offers nothing to recommend -- or to set it apart from the many other film adaptations.

Synopsis: D'Artagnan (Logan Lerman) leaves his home in rural France to fulfill his ambition of becoming one of the king's elite guardsmen, the Musketeers. In Paris,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matthew Macfadyen, Milla Jovovich, Logan Lerman, Luke Evans

Directed By: Paul W.S. Anderson

#25

Clash of the Titans (2010)

27%

Critics Consensus: An obviously affectionate remake of the 1981 original, Louis Leterrier's Clash of the Titans doesn't offer enough visual thrills to offset the deficiencies of its script.

Synopsis: Perseus, the son of Zeus, is caught in a war between gods and is helpless to save his family from Hades. With nothing left to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng

Directed By: Louis Leterrier

#24

The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman (2013)

25%

Critics Consensus: Shia LaBeouf clearly relishes his role in Charlie Countryman, but his efforts can't salvage the movie's shallow script and overstuffed direction.

Synopsis: In Romania, an American tourist (Shia LaBeouf) falls for the estranged wife (Evan Rachel Wood) of a brutal gangster (Mads Mikkelsen).

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood, Mads Mikkelsen, John Hurt

Directed By: Fredrik Bond

#23

King Arthur (2004)

30%

Critics Consensus: The magic is gone, leaving a dreary, generic action movie.

Synopsis: In this interpretation of the classic tale, Arthur (Clive Owen) is a cavalry officer in the Roman army defending Hadrian's Wall against rebellious Britons. He... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clive Owen, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd, Stephen Dillane

Directed By: Antoine Fuqua

#22

Shake It All About (2001)

40%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A gay married couple, Jacob (Mads Mikkelsen) and Jorgen (Troels Lyby), navigate through life's problems with varying degrees of success -- that is, until the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Troels Lyby, Charlotte Munck, Jesper Lohmann

Directed By: Hella Joof

#21

Age of Uprising: The Legend of Michael Kohlhaas (2013)

47%

Critics Consensus: Age of the Uprising is well-acted and skillfully composed; unfortunately, it crawls along too slowly to take advantage of its finer qualities.

Synopsis: In 16th-century France, a horse trader (Mads Mikkelsen) raises a peasant army and goes to war to exact vengeance on an unjust lord.

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Mélusine Mayance, Delphine Chuillot, David Kross

Directed By: Arnaud des Pallières

#20

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009)

52%

Critics Consensus: It's well-acted and beautifully filmed, but Jan Kounen's dramatization of the affair between his famous subjects is curiously short on passion.

Synopsis: A passionate affair between two creative giants begins after French couturiere Coco Chanel (Mads Mikkelsen) invites the destitute Russian composer (Anna Mouglalis) and his family... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Anna Mouglalis, Elena Morozova, Natacha Lindinger

Directed By: Jan Kounen

#19

The Green Butchers (2003)

63%

Critics Consensus: The Green Butchers isn't exactly grade A, but this dark comedy carves some genuinely satisfying moments out of a story that finds genuine emotion in a gory premise.

Synopsis: The owners (Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas) of an organic-meat shop attract unsuspecting customers with a special cut that is actually human flesh.

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Line Kruse, Bodil Jørgensen

Directed By: Anders Thomas Jensen

#18

Torremolinos 73 (2003)

69%

Critics Consensus: A light tale that's big on heart, this spicy snapshot of domestic sexuality in '70s Spain treats its wacky protagonists with enough gentle humanity to be delightfully entertaining.

Synopsis: Spanish encyclopedia salesman Alfredo (Javier Cámara) volunteers to make sex films with his wife, Carmen (Candela Peña), for a series of supposedly educational titles on... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Javier Cámara, Candela Peña, Juan Diego, Malena Alterio

Directed By: Pablo Berger

#17

Adam's Apples (2005)

70%

Critics Consensus: Good and evil collide with interesting results in Adam's Apples, a dark Biblical allegory that's alternatively funny and shocking.

Synopsis: Following a stint in jail, Adam (Ulrich Thomsen), a former neo-Nazi, is temporarily assigned to live in a religious enclave. The community is led by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ulrich Thomsen, Mads Mikkelsen, Nicolas Bro, Paprika Steen

Directed By: Anders Thomas Jensen

#16

Flickering Lights (2000)

70%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Four gangsters steal a fortune from their boss and hide out in a small farmhouse, where each comes to the realization they would like to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Søren Pilmark, Ulrich Thomsen, Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas

Directed By: Anders Thomas Jensen

#15

Valhalla Rising (2009)

70%

Critics Consensus: Visually gripping and anchored by a magnetic Mads Mikkelsen, Valhalla Rising delves into violence and faith in brutally uncompromising fashion.

Synopsis: In 11th-century Scandinavia, an enslaved man dubbed One Eye (Mads Mikkelsen) because of an old facial wound stages a violent uprising against those who imprisoned... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Gary Lewis, Jamie Sives, Ewan Stewart

Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn

#14

The Salvation (2014)

72%

Critics Consensus: It's all but impossible to add anything new or fresh to the traditional Western, but -- thanks in no small part to Mads Mikkelson's performance -- The Salvation comes close.

Synopsis: After shooting the man who murdered his wife, a Danish settler (Mads Mikkelsen) incurs the wrath of the man's brother (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a ruthless... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Éric Cantona

Directed By: Kristian Levring

#13

At Eternity's Gate (2018)

79%

Critics Consensus: Led by mesmerizing work from Willem Dafoe in the central role, At Eternity's Gate intriguingly imagines Vincent Van Gogh's troubled final days.

Synopsis: Famed but tormented artist Vincent van Gogh spends his final years in Arles, France, painting masterworks of the natural world that surrounds him.

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Rupert Friend, Oscar Isaac, Mads Mikkelsen

Directed By: Julian Schnabel

#12

Men & Chicken (2015)

84%

Critics Consensus: Men & Chicken's bizarre setup only skims the surface of a challenging, well-acted comedy with a warm heart to match its grotesque visuals and dark themes.

Synopsis: Two outcast brothers get to know their biological family and discover the horrible truth about themselves and their relatives.

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, David Dencik, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Søren Malling

Directed By: Anders Thomas Jensen

#11

Pusher (1996)

83%

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: As a heroin dealer in Copenhagen, Frank (Kim Bodnia) is far from the top but earns good money pushing with a friend (Mads Mikkelsen). When... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kim Bodnia, Zlatko Buric, Laura Drasbæk, Slavko Labovic

Directed By: Nicolas Winding Refn

#10

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

84%

Critics Consensus: Rogue One draws deep on Star Wars mythology while breaking new narrative and aesthetic ground -- and suggesting a bright blockbuster future for the franchise.

Synopsis: Former scientist Galen Erso lives on a farm with his wife and young daughter, Jyn. His peaceful existence comes crashing down when the evil Orson... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen

Directed By: Gareth Edwards

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002)

83%

Critics Consensus: Despite its morbid subject matter, Wilbur is a charming and often funny film.

Synopsis: When their mother dies, Harbour (Adrian Rawlins) takes it upon himself to look after his suicidal brother, Wilbur (Jamie Sives). Years later, the brothers find... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jamie Sives, Adrian Rawlins, Shirley Henderson, Lisa McKinlay

Directed By: Lone Scherfig

Flame & Citron (2008)

86%

Critics Consensus: The true story of the Danish resistance in WW2, though lengthy and sprawling, is gripping and competently made.

Synopsis: Copenhagen 1944. Denmark is occupied by Nazi Germany. While the Danish population hopes for a swift end to the war, freedom fighters Bent Faurschou-Hviid (23),... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Thure Lindhardt, Mads Mikkelsen, Stine Stengade, Peter Mygind

Directed By: Ole Christian Madsen

After the Wedding (2006)

87%

Critics Consensus: The cast brings After the Wedding's melodramatic script to life, creating a movie that is emotionally raw and satisfying.

Synopsis: Jacob Petersen (Mads Mikkelsen) dedicates his life to helping street children in India, and when the orphanage he leads may be closed, he receives an... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Rolf Lassgård, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Stine Fischer Christensen

Directed By: Susanne Bier

Doctor Strange (2016)

89%

Critics Consensus: Doctor Strange artfully balances its outré source material against the blockbuster constraints of the MCU, delivering a thoroughly entertaining superhero origin story in the bargain.

Synopsis: Dr. Stephen Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) life changes after a car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong

Directed By: Scott Derrickson

A Royal Affair (2012)

90%

Critics Consensus: A Royal Affair is a lavish and sumptuous costume drama with a juicy story to back it up.

Synopsis: A young queen falls in love with her physician, and they start a revolution that changes their nation forever.

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander, David Dencik, Trine Dyrholm

Directed By: Nikolaj Arcel

Casino Royale (2006)

94%

Critics Consensus: Casino Royale disposes of the silliness and gadgetry that plagued recent James Bond outings, and Daniel Craig delivers what fans and critics have been waiting for: a caustic, haunted, intense reinvention of 007.

Synopsis: After receiving a license to kill, British Secret Service agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) heads to Madagascar, where he uncovers a link to Le Chiffre... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench

Directed By: Martin Campbell

The Hunt (2012)

92%

Critics Consensus: Anchored by Mads Mikkelsen's sympathetic performance, The Hunt asks difficult questions with the courage to pursue answers head on.

Synopsis: A kindergarten teacher's (Mads Mikkelsen) world collapses around him after one of his students (Annika Wedderkopp), who has a crush on him, implies that he... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp, Lasse Fogelstrøm

Directed By: Thomas Vinterberg

Open Hearts (2002)

93%

Critics Consensus: Pulsing with honesty, this film lays bare the rawness of human emotion with a story made all the more believable thanks to its gritty, low-budget approach.

Synopsis: Cecilie (Sonja Richter) and Joachim (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) are engaged to be married, when tragedy strikes: Joachim is the victim of a car crash that... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sonja Richter, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Mads Mikkelsen, Paprika Steen

Directed By: Susanne Bier